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Tuesday, January 28, 2014

That’s it, no more giveaways

It’s hard on someone just starting in their writing career
to get the kind of feedback they need, which is why the idea of giving books
away in the hopes of garnering reviews seems to be an acceptable tradeoff.
Except that I’ve given away thousands of books and got exactly one review as a
result. At least it was a favorable review: I gave away a short story which I
clearly labeled as “a very short story” and was given a 1 star review because
it wasn’t a full-length novel. He also mentioned something about me writing at
about the middle school level. I won’t argue that point, but you’re welcome to
click on either of my books on the right hand side and decide for yourself the
validity of the statement.

But the point is that I have decided it is not worth my time
to give away books in the hopes that it might somehow benefit me. This is not
me grumbling, nor am I saying that readers are not holding up their end of the
bargain. What I gave away I gave away with perhaps hopes but without implied
obligations. It is simply a business decision, as well as the feeling that my
work is worthy of the modest price I have attached to it. Because honestly, if
I did not feel that my writing was worth more than nothing, why would anyone be
expected to read it?

People don’t appreciate what is given for free, which is why
we tend to waste what nature has given us while lusting after those things that
have been shrink-wrapped and put on display on store shelves. This is not an
observation I like to make, but I will not deny the truth of it just because
the thought doesn’t appeal to me. Again, this is not a value judgment but a
statement of fact. As optimistic and altruistic as I tend to be, a writer
cannot afford to stray too far from the facts.

So if you’re reading this as I write it, you may have one
last chance to grab my book—Perchance to Dream—on Amazon for free. I think it has a couple of hours left on the giveaway. Do I want
you to give it a fair and honest review for the work I’ve done? Of course I do.
But I’ve already decided you’ll probably appreciate it less because you haven’t
invested any money in it. Hell, chances are you’ll download it and never get
around to reading it, in the same way I record things on my DVR I never get
around to watching. Which is why I’ll never give my work away for free again.
At least for now : )

Find My Writing Here

Shell Shock

The Amazing Morse

The Association

Perchance To Dream

Seven Stones

About Me

The Amazing MorseThe Amazing Morse is a blog dedicated to my works of fiction, primarily my first series, The Amazing Morse. My postings will be either from my own perspective or that of my character Dave Morse.